Beauty and the Beat

Aïshti by the Sea’s spa experts tell us what trends are hottest this summer.

Rashad, hairstylist

With every season comes a plethora of trends to play with, and there’s possibly none more fun than summer hairstyles. This year sees the advent of the straight cut, says Rashad, hairstylist at Aïshti by the Sea’s spa, with ombre and dip dye, which are two-tone coloring techniques. “Trends go in circle,” he explains. “In Lebanon [women] like what I call the ‘Europe’ look, which is more natural.”

An up-style specialist, he adds that clients are no longer looking to style a bulky chignon, but are instead opting for a more effortless look with more movement and even a little messiness. Summer also sees a retro curl, or the beach wave, making a strong comeback. The colors become lighter to complement a darker, tanned skin.

Rashad, who’s been working at Aïshti by the Sea’s spa for two years, has been a hairstylist for 20 and has a world of experience across the region, from Dubai to Jordan. “I love everything about my work,” he says. “I’m attached to it. Many times we sacrifice our time for the job. We stay the extra hours.”

Tamar, senior skin therapist

Tamar started out as a personal assistant for a plastic surgeon, and after self-studying, went on to both study and work in general aesthetics, having been given the opportunity to learn about laser and makeup. She enrolled in regional and international seminars, assembling a range of skills that saw her take on new responsibilities at Aïshti by the Sea’s spa. “What clients ask for the most is the éclat, of course. Net, clear skin, less wrinkles,” Tamar explains. “Women like to go out without applying makeup so they like to have that bright, clean skin.”

More recently, products are taking on a more natural direction, using plants, fruits and all things organic. There are also numerous machines coming out that focus on skin rejuvenation, dermabrasion (a skinresurfacing procedure), mesotherapy (a technique that uses injections of vitamins, enzymes, hormones and plant extracts to rejuvenate the skin) and lifting, of which there are many options at Aïshti by the Sea’s spa. “I love my clients, they are my business family,” she says of her work. “I follow up with them, I motivate them, but the most important thing is I educate them.”

Dina, makeup artist

One summer, a young Dina decided to take on a job to pass the time and began working at a makeup salon. Before she knew it, she found herself enjoying the field and decided to pursue it full-time. “I love makeup. I feel like I’m bringing out the best features in a woman. I am projecting myself, what I feel is beautiful, on a woman,” she tells A Mag. “It’s also about knowing what looks good, because not everything looks the same on women.”

Dina prefers earth colors herself, citing them as forward and classy all at once. Current trends include soft glitter over the eye, which looks great in photographs, as well as highlighter, smoky eyes with nude lipstick and lashes to accentuate the face. With a simpler and more natural approach to makeup, skincare has become that much more important. “Everyone now takes care of their faces with serums and creams,” Dina explains. “This generation is more open-minded and educated. Twenty-year-olds don’t really wear much makeup, and they don’t have surgeries or Botox. They’re more natural and take on a more natural lifestyle.”

Hanadi, physiotherapist

Hanadi initially wanted to become an engineer, but unforeseen circumstances drove her into the field of aesthetic physiotherapy, and she’s been hooked ever since. Unlike medical physiotherapy, aesthetic physiotherapy aims to alleviate people’s stresses and tensions, and includes body treatments and massages – powerful anti-depressants in a very demanding age.

“I always say that there’s nothing better than making a person feel at ease, making the person who’s in your hands feel comfortable,” she says. “The best thing is the contact between the hand and the person’s body so you can feel it, so you can get the message from them about what’s bothering them,” she says.

Hanadi uses her hands for most of her work, but occasionally also employs self-heating massage tools from products like Lava Shell. Most of her clients’ ailments come from stress, she explains, and massages and treatments help them relax tremendously. With new techniques to learn every day, Hanadi makes sure to sit for massages at local or international hotels she visits to pick up on novel methods and innovative oils.

Words Rayane Abou Jaoude

Photography Aly Saab